David Warner to play in Sydney only if he can field properly
David Warner has stated that he will be on the park to play the third Test if he can manage to field properly at the cordon even if he is not 100% fit to grab those chances.
David Warner, after suffering a groin injury in the ODI series against India, has missed the T20I series and the subsequent Test matches in Adelaide and Melbourne and is racing against the time to be fit for the Sydney Test.
Given the conundrum that the Aussies found themselves at the top, it is paramount that they have Warner back at the top which the southpaw is trying extremely hard for.
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However, the opener has admitted that he is unlikely to gain full fitness ahead of the Sydney Test but his participation will come down to how he fields in the nets.
“I haven’t run in the last couple of days. Today and tomorrow will give me a better indication of where I am. Am I going to be 100 percent? Highly doubtful. But I’m doing everything I can to get on that park and play, even if that means I’m not 100 percent,” he said.
“It’s about being smart on this occasion. If I feel like I can do my duties, whether it’s standing in the slips cordon, taking catches to my right and left … think that’s where it will determine whether I do play or not.
“I know I can manage the running between wickets, the shot-making I have, it’s whether I have that capacity of catching the balls left and right. With Gazza [Nathan Lyon] bowling, am I going to field at first slip or leg slip? I’ve got to be agile enough to make sure I’m taking those chances.”
“It will have some restrictions here and there. When you get into the game adrenaline takes over. For me it’s about my speed between wickets, that’s all that matters, it doesn’t matter what shots I can and can’t play.
“It’s about the drop-and-run, helping the guy at the other end get off strike. They are the things I like to be 100 percent fit for. In this case, I’m most likely not going to be, but I’ll have to work out myself how I’m going to manage that.”
Warner admits the long-term impact of tendon injury
However, Warner admitted that the injury was quite painful in the beginning and he had the challenge to manage the injury. The Southpaw further added that it was difficult to move around in bed and get in and out of the car while stating that the tendon injury is going to last for a while.
“The first two weeks were quite challenging, it was difficult to move around in bed and get in and out the car. When it comes to these tendon issues they hang around for quite a while and it’s quite hard to get through that pain threshold. I’m trying to manage that and we are doing everything we can to fast track that process.”